§ 9-14-10.Respondent’s return to writ — When and where made

Once the writ is served, the respondent has to answer it — that answer is the return — and this section works out the mechanics of when and where. The baseline rule is plain: the return happens at the time and place the court specified when it issued the writ.

Distance complicates that baseline, so the statute builds in travel time. For every 20 miles the respondent has to travel from the place where the detained person is held to the hearing location, the statute adds two days beyond the service date. That formula recognizes that a respondent served in a distant county needs more lead time than one served across the street from the courthouse.

The final clause handles a timing problem: what if service happens so close to the scheduled hearing that there is not enough time left to cover the travel allowance? In that situation, the return is not merely late — it is instead due within the allowed time counted from the moment of service, effectively pushing the return date out to accommodate the travel the respondent needs.